- July 25, 2025
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Tyler Cottingham of Quality Bred Exotics holds up a northern blue-tongued skink.
Photo by Ian SwabyRamon Acevedo and Sofi Sueiro
Photo by Ian SwabyJohn Dockery, 4, sees an amphiuma.
Photo by Ian SwabyBud Foltz, showcasing snakes alongside Lee Abbott, hands Lee Niyah Hillard a Scaleless Palmetto, one of less than 300 of that variety of snake in the world.
Photo by Ian SwabyJoshua Dockery, 11, makes a turtle friend.
Photo by Ian SwabySaed Thalji holds a ball python.
Photo by Ian SwabyChameleons from Joe Rollo's business BCI Joe are on display.
Photo by Ian SwabyBethany Van Waardhuizen, her daughter Aria Van Waardhuizen, 12, her husband Jon Waardhuizen, attended with Mushu, a bearded dragon.
Photo by Ian SwabyBrooks DeLoach, 10, holds an albino Okeeteee corn snake.
Photo by Ian SwabyAlex Culver of Pibbles and Company Exotic Animal Advocacy, Felix, and John Cox of RUCK9
Photo by Ian SwabyKailynn Wilfred, 5 and her mother Kimberly Wilfred hold a Keltic het Sharp.
Photo by Ian SwabyJohn Booher of Tennessee holds a new ball python.
Photo by Ian SwabyDylan D'Angelo, 11, and his brother Asher D'Angelo, 9, hold a Honduran milk snake and a Baja kingsnake.
Photo by Ian SwabyPhoebe Sked, 6, of Brooksville, holds a Sharp Sunglow.
Photo by Ian SwabyKayla Thayer and her sister-in-law Eliana Thayer hold musk turtles.
Photo by Ian SwabyAlex Culver of Pibbles and Company Exotic Animal Advocacy holds Decaf, a skunk.
Photo by Ian SwabyChase DeLoach, 8, and his friend JD Cooley, 8, hold an albino Okeeteee corn snake.
Photo by Ian SwabyEthan Rogge and his father, Mark, were allergic to furry animals.
So instead, at a young age, Ethan had got first gecko, and he soon was breeding and producing others, leading him to found SoFlo Reptiles.
The Naples-based business was a vendor at ReptiDay, the one-day version of the weekend ReptiCon events, held July 12 at Sahib Shrine Center.
Featuring reptiles from snakes to skinks along with non-reptilian animals, animal care products, and merchandise, the expo featured just shy of 20 vendors according to Lisa Parker, manager of Vivid Special Events.
Ramon Acevedo called it an experience that was “very hard to find” locally and something not available in pet stores.
“ReptiCon is kind of like the only thing that a lot of people have in person for reptiles,” said his date, Sofi Sueiro, who also said getting in touch with breeders was helpful, while calling herself “more of a bug person.”
Yet bugs weren't the only animals without scales.
Others included Felix, a skunk whom Alex Culver, of Pibbles and Company Exotic Animal Advocacy, had been trying to get to walk since he adopted the critter nine months ago.
At ReptiDay, Culver met Sarasota's John Cox, a retired local deputy who founded RUCK9 (Rescuing Uniquely Created K-9’s), and has provided wheelchairs to dogs, cats and other animals in need.
Cox took Felix's measurements and said he would be able to help Felix regain mobility. Cox said Felix would be his 541st rescue.
Culver said he was surprised by Cox's willingness to help. “This has been amazing to us…” Culver said. “We’re big on animals, and it just doesn’t happen to us.”
